When we come to a spiritual practice, we have the intention of experiencing life fully and to have an intimate connection to everything and everyone. If we are to do this, we begin at the place of being who we truly we are in each moment. That sounds absolutely wonderful, but in reality, we often enter in to practice with some gaining idea and some expectation of how things should be. Being truly who we are is not contingent upon establishing a self-improvement project or getting to some special state, but rather means embracing the totality of our experience. This includes all the feelings of hurt, anger, and disappointment, as well as the feelings of happiness, joy, and celebration. To fully confront each moment as it is takes courage and patience. That is what the practice of mindfulness and Zen are really about…it is ordinary - not some special state of being.